good morning. breaking news. two firefighters die as they battle that massive wildfire raging near los angeles. at least 35 homes have now destroyed. 12,000 more threatened. we will go live to the scene. inside the house of horrors. the back yard camp jaycee lee duggard and her kids lived in in the 18-year-old ordeal as officials use chain saws and cadaver dogs to expand the

investigation. miracle at sea. the coast guard calls off the search and incredibly another boater finds them all alive, floating on a capsized catama n catamaran. how did they survive? one speaks out in a live interview this monday, august 31st, 2009. >> from nbc news, this is "today" with matt lauer and meredith vieira. live from studio 1 a in rockefeller plaza. >> welcome to "today." i'm meredith vieira. >> i'm karl quintnerra. those 2800 firefighters working to contain the so-called station fire doing so with heavy hearts. >> two firefighters died on sunday when their vehicle rolled off a mountain side. as for the fire, it consumed 42,000 acres and engulfed more than 35 homes. now the flame moving closer to

the top of the mountain where transmitters for every major television and radio station for the city are located. >> we will get a report in a moment. also michael jackson's father speaks out about his son's death officially ruled a homicide and said anyone who was involved should pay. we will have that exclusive interview with joe jackson. >> a bit later, an eyeopener with the surprising amount of fat, sugar and calories found in the coffee drinks that so many of us love to drink. we will begin with the raging and deadly wildfire north of los angeles. miguel is on the scene. good morning to you. >> reporter: meredith, good morning. this is one of the first communities to be steam rolled by the station fire. everything on the block and the area is a complete loss, but the devastation pales in compare to the grief of firefighters. they were found in steep rugged terrain sunday.

a team of firefighters in an overturned vehicle on the frontlines. two were killed. >> this accident is tragic. this is a very difficult time for los angeles county fire department. >> reporter: a devastating loss in the middle of an over-wellming fight. the station fire is a monster, swal ocean 42 thousand then acres with the burn zone expanding day by day in every direction. most of the fire has destroyed uninhabited scrubland, but entire communities are under siege. fire reports 18 properties destroyed and 35 flattened homes in this tujunga neighborhood alone. these are the first pictures of a community wiped out. >> it's like a war zone. >> reporter: with an estimated 10,000 homes still threatened, at least 2,000 people evacuate friday the los angeles area.

>> if it's just an ember that drifts and falls down, this might help. >> reporter: chip won't leave yet. he was supposed to evacuate saturday. >> if it's wind-drive, i'm out of here. >> reporter: that's one of the few pieces of good news. the wins have yet to kick up, but the weather like the fire here can turn on a dime. >> if we have a wind event it could blow this all over the place. >> reporter: well over 60 miles, 2,000 firefighters can do little to slow its spread. crews on foot and in the air continue to lose ground every hour. homes are not the only concern. emergency communication and television towers have been surrounded by the blaze. now this fire's toll is measured in lives. >> please, prayers for the families of our two brothers we lost. >> reporter: two firefighters killed in a blaze that continues

to expand and shows no sign of slowing down. as firefighters cope with the loss in the coming days, many residents will return to scenes like this and others will sit, wait, and wonder. we should point out this fire is only 5% contained. >> thank you so much. u.s. forest service chief mike dietrich is the incident commander for the station fire. good morning to you, sir. >> good morning. >> as miguel pointed out, only 5% had been contained. what is the latest. are you getting the upper hand at all when it comes to this blaze? >> no, we are just able to pick up the fire as it comes in towards the communities and there is excellent firifying going on last night and especially up to the north end of the fire and along the foothills communities ofula canada, flintridge and so on.

>> your plan is to go defensive. what does that mean? >> it's in areas that it's too steep to work in. the fire is working quickly and they are letting the fire come to them in strategic areas and either burning out around the residences or putting the fire out as it comes into the back yards of people's homes at this point. it has been successful where we can work. >> you said you have never seen a fire spread so rapidly without the winds to fuel it. why is it growing so rapidly? >> it's probably a combination of over two weeks of 100 degree temperatures and single digit relative humidities combined with 10 years of drought and that many of the fuels are over 60 years old that have not burned for decades. it's a combination of all those together along with the steep topography and the perfect storm. >> we heard the weather

conditions are supposed to be cooler than it has been over the weekend and more humidity. are those positive signs is as far as you are concerned? >> it's all positive, but the conditions are still extreme. i'm not sure if there is that much of a difference between 105 and 98 or 5% humidity and 10% humidity in terms of fuel conditions it affects on fire behavior. >> i know there 2000 thousand firefighters and you lost two of your own over the weekend and we are so sorry for that loss. can you tell us about those two men and the dedication of all of these firefighter in risking their lives. >> all of the firefighters are extremely dedicated to protecting live and property. with regard to any additional information regarding the accident yesterday, i don't have any more at this time.

i do need to neanmention they a dedicated to protecting communities, homes and lives. >> a word of warning, when you give the orders to evacuate, it is essential that they leave, correct? >> it is. we don't ask for evacuations without imminent threat. sometimes it happens and sometimes it doesn't. we ask the folks to heed our requests. >> thank you so much. good luck with the fighting of those fires today. >> thank you, meredith. >> it is 7:08. here's karl. >> the disturbing story that has everyone talking, the ordeal of jaycee lee duggard that lasted 18 long years. as the investigation unfolds, we get our look inside the maze of secret at the present times and sheds where duggard and her children were kept. george is live with the latest. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning to

you. police and fbi agents will resume their search at the home of phillip garrido trying to unearth evidence. over the weekend more than 20 officers from two local police departments and the sheriff's office aided by the fbi brought shovels, metal detectors and dogs trained to search for human bodies. can phillip garrido, the man accused of imprisoning jaycee duggard at age 11 be tied to a series of unsolved murders whose bodies were dumped in an industrial area where he once worked. >> we want to see if there is a link between garrido and the open cases. it's too early to say. >> he and his wife have pleaded not guilt to two dozen criminal counts. he was previously sentenced to

in 1977 in another kidnap and rape case and let out on parole 11 years later. dan was a detective on the reno, nevada police department when he was arrested. >> for he was going to be let out, he should have been neutered at the least. >> reporter: this shows the strange compound of tents where jaycee duggard was kept and the two daughters he fathered with her. former customers of the printing business were astounded when they heard she was the kidnapped girl on the news. >> that's the girl i met. it was a shock for me. >> it was a pair of alert campus cops at the university of california, berkeley who noticed garrido and his daughters behaving strangely handing out religious literature. >> he comes back on federal parole for a rape and

kidnapping. these are two young girls with a registered sex offender convicted for rape. mommy mode kicks in. >> will there be more revelations of what may have happened at this house? >> reporter: some were women involved in prostitution. this morning the father of phillip garrido spoke about his son. he was a sex addict. i believe he killed those prostitutes. no evidence of that so far. >> thanks for that. pat brown is a criminal profiler. if authorities are correct, he held duggard for 18 years. police were at his house and neighbors had concerns about him. how is it possible he went undetected for so long? >> we are shocked about that and appalled quite frankly that a sex offender can be released from prison. he got a 50-year sentence for holding a stranger in his storage unit and got 50 years which he should have gotten from

an idiot parole board who let him out and said he could be rehabilitate and he was just not monitored carefully enough and nobody went into his home to see what was going on and checked his property. outrageous and neighbors did see something and some did report, but what happens is if you report it and you don't get a response, you see nothing changed, you are not going to call back and say i'm still concerned because i figure out you are just being a nosey neighbor. >> the secret events that led to his arrest and the confession and bringing his daughters to the berkeley campus, is it unusual to want to bring girls like that out into the open. was he looking to get caught? >> absolutely not. he's gotten to the fact where he has grandiose thinking. he got away with this for 18 years. his mind set, every day that i get up and the police have knocked on my door, that fools.

they have no idea what i'm doing. and he can do whatever he wants. >> the police are searching fist property for clues as to the murders of the other women from the 1990s and many were prostitutes. if he is in fact guilty of the crimes he is accused of, that he is also guilty of sex crimes and even murder in those cases? >> i wouldn't put it past him. what would murder mean of him. he is a psychopath whether he rapes or kills them, he does what's necessary. definitely take a look at him. that doesn't mean there couldn't be another predator. you will find 150 in the area. it may or may not be him. his father said he's a sex addict. no such thing. you like having the power and control of having sex. you are not addicted to it. >> jaycee's stepfather said he

feels guilty because she made a bond with the prerp traitor. what is the process of rehabilitating her. she missed so much in life. how likely is it that she can regain normality. >> if you are stuck with somebody and they have power and troll over them, you tend to look at them as a person very important to you. they are the only person you know. we see women in abusive situations, they think that's my husband and that's my partner and who i'm with. this little girl who is now a grown woman, she and her daughters need a great therapist. their feelings are normal and if they have guilt to get over that and realize the past was horrible, but there people in concentration camps and other horrible situations and put that in the past and reach to the future. they all deserve a future.

>> pat brown, thanks very much. >> let's get a check of the rest of the top stories. natalie is sitting in for ann. >> welcome back, meredith and welcome to you, karl. another disturbing case to tell you about. a deepening murder mystery in brunswick, georgia. an 8th person die friday wounds suffered over the weekend in an attack in a mobile home. the victims range from teenagers to adults. police still do not know if the killer is on the loose. they are offering a reward. former vice president dick cheney is lashing out at eric holder's decision to see if they abused terror suspects. cheney calls it an outrageuous act that will do great damage. overseas markets are down especially in china where stocks fell by almost 7%. erin burnett is there. >> obviously what started in china is spreading around the

world. could be pressure and september starts tomorrow. why is that significant? it's among the worst month for stocks. they are in the mode to prove whether these are something even more or not. they are not going to buy stocks on hope anymore. there a lot of things to watch. some are over for the market when you look at the data. retailers, how did they do in back to school? we will find out and construction and unemployment expected to kick up to 9.5%. >> erin burnett, thank you. tragedy at an airshow when a fighter jet crashed during the show. both pilots were kill and officials think the jet lost power after hitting birds. high drama in germany where a dare devil walked to the top of germany's highest mount on. he used the to raise money for charity. a big victory for the little leaguers from chula vista,

california. they scored a 6-3 come-from-behind win to take the little league world series championship. the 5th straight time a u.s. team has won it. they are heroes at home. congratulations to the team from chula vista. you are up to date. let's go to meredith, karl, and al. what a great story.

>> a nice, pleasant start 2 hour work week. we will be cooler than normal, at least in central maryland. mix of sunshine and clouds. looks like a slight chance for a shower later on this afterno

>> that's your latest weather. meredith? >> ted kennedy was laid to rest at arlington national cemetery over the weekend following an emotional tribute in boston. chuck todd is in washington. good morning to you. >> it was an emotional weekend both in boston and washington as they paid final respects to a legend and icon, ted kennedy. on the hillside in arlington cemetery where he was laid to rest next to his brothers, long lines of people waited to pay respects to 10 kennedy. >> he allowed me a difference. that's what counts. >> the life of making a difference when he asked pope benedict to pray for him and the letter was delivered by president obama when he met the pope at the vatican in july and it was read at arlington saturday night. >> i know i have been an imperfect human being, but with the help of my faith i tried to right my path.

i worked to welcome the immigrants, to fight discrimination, and expand access to health care and education. i have opposed the death penalty and fought to end war. >> the pope responded by offering his prayers. ♪ mourners gathered in boston. the senator's wife vicky and his first wife, joan. his sister jean, the last kennedy of his generation. maria and her husband, arnold schwarzenegger, all mourning the loss of eunice kennedy shriver who died earlier this morning. three of the four former presidents and president obama. >> we weep because we loved this kind and tender hero who persevered through tragedy. >> teddy jr. spoke personally about his dad.

>> i said i will never be able to climb up that hill. he lifted me up in his strong gentle arms and said something i will never forget. he said, "i know you can do it. there is nothing that you can't do." we are going to climb that hill together. even if it takes us all day. >> later on the steps of the senate where he served 47 years, hundreds of staffers and friends burst into applause, paying homage to their former boss. while some called at this time end of an era, questions about his legacy remain when it comes to health care. >> a lot has been written about how much his voice has been missed and think it has, but i think perhaps his passing will reinvigorate people to get it done. >> republican senator o ren hatch, a personal friend said kennedy was the only democrat

who could have cut a bipartisan deal. >> there is no other democrat to get them to do what they have to do in a compromise situation. >> nostalgia is not likely to bring republicans to the table. they have to hurry up and fill that seat. the massachusetts legislature has to change the law to give the governor the power to appoint. one interesting thing happened yesterday. ted kennedy's best friend in the senate started talking up vicki kennedy, the senator's widow who said she wouldn't be interested, but we are hearing a lot of chatter. it should be an interesting week. >> is it likely they will change the law? >> it is likely they will change the law. what they will change is giving the governor the power to have an interim appointee. they will still have that special election which will take place sometime in the third or 4th week of january of next year, but having an interim appointee because democrats need every vote they can get to get health care passed.

>> still ahead, our interview with michael jackson's father, joe jackson speaks out for the first time since his son's death was first ruled a homicide. first time since his son's death was first ruled a homicide. this is "today" " they have alzheimer's and arthritis, diabetes and cancer. they've heard that biomedical research offers hope, that it could control, maybe even cure, their disease. senator ben cardin understands the importance of innovative biomedical research, for patients, their families, and our economy in maryland. call senator cardin today. ask him to protect the 90,000 maryland jobs biomedical research provides and the hopes of patients everywhere. it's not just the future, it's life.

three men rescued after their boat capsizes. >> their story after your local news.

>> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am stan stovall. it is back to school today for students in baltimore city. we go live outside the new and improved the dunbar high school. >> the big talk to the is the

reopening of paul laurence dunbar community high school. $30 million in renovations. students will see a much different school this morning. they are preparing for a a ribbon-cutting ceremony that will happen. the governor, schools ceo, the mayor will all be here to welcome students back to the state. open again after two years. >> thank you very much as the first day of the school year starts, we will see how that impacts the roads for the morning commute. he was kim dacey and traffic pulse 11. -- here is kim dacey and traffic pulse 11. >> disabled loop on the outer loop of the beltway.

97 northbound, benfield boulevard, we will give you a live look at the north side of the beltway harford road, outer loop there come back up to providence road. >> a nice, pleasant start out there. we are only going to climb to 74 degrees. what a way to wrap up the month of august. dry air mass will prevail for the central part of the state. nice, quiet trend for the rest of this week. >> back at 7:55 our our next live update.

♪ 7:30 on this monday. matt lauer and his family. no, those are the brady bunch kids on the successful sitcom. they do more singing and dancing on the short-lived brady bunch on the variety hour. a lot of drama unfolding. cindy brady herself will tell us all about it. there she is all grown up.

i'm meredith vieira with karl quintanilla. were you a brady bunch fan? >> fan is say strong word. i watched it. is that good enough? >> i was a fan. i still am a fan. i didn't remember this variety hour at all. >> that's new to me. i wanted a maid like alice. i thought that was nice because you don't have to do chores. >> she was good and tough too. we have an amazing survival story. three men lost at sea after their boat capsized. >> after a week they called off the search and delivered the news to the families. another boater found those men alive. we will meet the man who saved him in a moment. >> woor ve exciting news to share. jenna bush haeger, the daughter of george bush joining the "today" family as a new correspondent. jenna is a reading coordinator

when and while she will continue that work, she will contribute stories on issues including education and begins in september. we are very excited about that. >> bringing a lot of perspective to the show. >> michael jackson's father, joe, speaking out for the first time since the coroner ruled his son's death a homicide. jeff is in los angeles with that. good morning. >> good morning to you. we sat down with joe jackson over the weekend and talked about everything from his grandchildren to the criminal case to michael's drug use. he believes there were several people involved in michael's death and said all of them should pay. >> i keep thinking, i just can't believe this happened to him. >> how are you doing? >> i'm fine. just still grieving over my son's loss. because he was the greatest all over the world. i'm proud of that. >> we're met with joe jackson at

the palms in las vegas on saturday, what would have been michael's 51st birthday. there was a tribute concert celebrating michael's life. when it was over, joe and i discussed his tragic death. >> are you angry? >> no, i'm not angry. i'm mad. >> what are you mad about? >> i didn't know all this was going on. that's what i'm mad about. >> you didn't know michael had a problem with the medications? >> i didn't know he was taking that medication. >> your son's death is ruled a homicide. what does the family want now? >> they want justice that's what is being done. >> criminal charges? >> i don't know. >> the coroner not only declared the death is a homicide, but ruled propofol with other anti-anxiety drugs as a contributing factor. his fashion conrad murray gave him propofol to help him sleep.

>> did you know he needed to drug to sleep? >> no, i did not. first time i ever heard of the drug. >> dr. conrad murray admitted he gave it to him the morning he die and that is ruled the cause of death. what does that tell you? >> that tells me there was foul play done. that's what it tells me. and to be investigated to see what is behind all of this stuff, not just dr. conrad murray. >> do you want someone to pay? >> someone should pay. not just someone, but all of them should pay that's involved. >> all the doctors. >> i didn't say doctors. everybody else that is involved. >> anybody that is involved should pay? >> that's right. >> in our interview, joe wanted to focus on michael's legacy as a performer, but at the end of his life, it wasn't his career,

but rather his three children michael was most proud of. in keeping with his wishes, his 79-year-old mother has been awarded custody of prince, paris and blanket. joe doesn't live with them and promised i will not be involved in raising the children. >> how are the kids? >> the kids are fine. >> what are role do you play in the kids's lives. >> i'm their grandfather. >> have you seen them? >> of course. >> how often? >> well, put it like this. i see them -- i see them enough. time enough. often enough. >> as you can see, joe was choosing his words very carefully. that's when he ended the interview. when i brought up the kids. michael's children will be there as their father is laid to rest. it will be a private ceremony for family and friends this friday at sunset at forest lawn cemetery in glendale, california.

>> thanks very much. >> let's go outside with a check of the weather from mr. roker. >> congratulations on winning a daytime emmy award for game show host for millionaire. >

>> we are going to be below normal and dry most of this week as well. this morning, one little disturbance fluctuating on the eastern shore. it is a stalled out front. more sunshine this afternoon. 74. >> where are you guys from? >> brooklyn. >> if you want your latest weather from brooklyn or across the 48 or 50 states and the world, go to the weather channel at weather.com online. meredith? >> now to an absolutely amazing survival story. three fishermen found alive, clinging to their capsized boat

after being lost at sea for more than a week. we will talk with the man who found them drifting 200 miles offshore in a moment. janet has the latest. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning. an incredible turn of events. three guys missing for eight days, a section of the gulf the size of minnesota was searched before the coast guard called it off. when hope was all but lost, three sport fishermen on this boat, the affordable fantasy made what had to be the catch of their life and onshore, prayers were answered. a reunion most thought would never come to pass. >> how is everybody doing? >> reporter: it was supposed to be an overnight fishing trip until he woke up to a nightmare. >> i'm running around trying to get everybody up and the water out as fast as we can and within the minute, five seconds, the boat just tumbled over and capsized. >> going down fast, the trail

made what was potentially a life-saving decision. >> we're salvaged two bags of chips, a six-pack of crackers and three gallons of water. that's what we lived on for the eight days. >> more than a week on top of a capsized boat. they knew they were being looked for because they saw the helicopter. >> that are tuesday morning or afternoon, we saw two of the coast guard helicopters fly by. they didn't see us. i have no idea how they didn't see us. >> for extended 86,000 square miles, the size of minnesota. after a week, the coast guard called it off. >> you goat a point where a decision has to be made. it's an agonizing choice, but we informed the families and it's a difficult thing to do but you get to the point where you have to look at all the factors. >> no one factored on this sport boat that spotted the men, picked them up and made them the most memorable meal of their

lives. >> this is the three hungriest guys in the world. >> they might have been found this morning or might never have made it. it was the right place at the right time. >> the ghost guard brought them home. how did the men survive? it was truly on a wing and a prayer. >> it was on a day to day basis that everybody had their break downs. the power of prayer had us feeling safe as far as knowing that we were going to make it out of it and didn't know how long we were going to have to endure this. >> they were committed he said to long enough. the men said they survived on crackers, bubble gum and what they describe as country boy know how. the hardest part was seeing the helicopters on tuesday and seeing them fly away. back to you. >> amazing story and thank you very much. a coast guard petty officer said what eddie and his crew did was like finding a needle in a

haystack. good morning to you, eddie. >> good morning. >> after a week of looking, the coast guard had called off the search. you are in your boat heading back from louisiana where you picked it up and you see something in the water. did you have any idea what it was you were looking@first? >> i didn't. we went right by the guys on the way to the rig. we were going to an oil rig to try to fish and we walked by and they saw us on the boat and get off of the top of the boat and walk down to the bottom and we went on the rig to fish for about an hour or hour and a half. >> on the way back, had you heard about the guys? did you know they were fishing and missing? >> i had no idea. that was a week ago and i didn't hear nothing. >> when you finally reached this boat and saw the three men clinging to what was about two feet worth of boat sticking out of the water?

>> actually i was sitting on the back of the boat and wanted to get ready to catch a blue marlin or something. i see it's going to happen. i was sitting on the couch and i think it was just a horizon was right and i saw something about two miles over there. i saw something bobble. i'm back there by myself and one of the guys said there is something over there. a fish? i said no, let's check it out. i went on the top of the boat to the top level and couldn't see anything. i said turn the boat around. i think there was something over there. an inner tube or something. when we turned around and got over there, we could see a guy out there waving. >> what are shape were they in when you reached them? >> we got close to the boat and we had the coast guard on the line of trying to talk to them and see what it was. as we backed up, we hollered what's their names. when they said their names, the coast guard said they have been missing for days. i said we will come get you.

when i motioned that we were backing up to them, they jumped in the water and they were swimming to the boat. no stopping them. >> they were grateful because had you not been there, we don't know what would have happened to these three. thank you so much. >> thank you. >> this is one of the lucky survivors. good morning to you. >> good morning. >> i must say we were talking to eddie, it is a miracle he came upon you. gone for a week, the coast guard had given up hope. at any point did do you the same as you were clinging to the boat? >> no. even though we were on a thin line, that was strong enough to keep the hope alive and being out there in the situation like that, that's all you can hang on to. >> there were moments at least where at least one if not all of you suffer friday

hallucinations. can you tell us about that? >> hallucinations started i guess about the 5th day or the 5th night. we got tired of being on the boat all the time and wanting to do other things and talk to other people. at times it seemed like it was real when you think about it so hard that it seemed like it just was reality. like you walked up and started talking to him. you looked at it like it was reality. >> when you saw eddie coming at you with what turned out to be the rescue boat, your reaction? >> my first reaction was is this real? you just have to kind of sit back and say is this real or hallucination. you have to wake yourself up to make sure it is real. that it was and it was a very surprising feeling.

very surprising. >> what are shape are the three of you in at this point? physically and emotionally after all you have been through. >> myself, that's the reason why we made the interview today. i overexerted yesterday with family and friends and i had a couple of news stations out here and really overdid it. we are fine and healing. we are just going to take our time doing it and most of it is just severe burns. i have some bites from jelly fish and stuff on my legs, but nothing that we can't get ourselves out of. >> are you done fishing for the time being? >> we made a pact. we will have to put that aside and find something else to do. >> okay. lovely to see you guys eating the steak dinner on the boat. >> it was wonderful. >> i wish you continued good health. thanks so much. still ahead, new information about the so-called craig's list

killer. what his ex-fiance is saying now. first these messages. @w@v@w

as preparation for swine flu season intensifies, group in particular is getting extra attention. expectant mothers. pregnant mothers account for 6% of swine flu deaths reported to the cdc. we have the chief medical editor, good morning to you. this is going to be a big deal for anyone going into flu season, but especially pregnant mothers.

why is it so important for them and new moms as well? >> pregnant women are making up 6% of the fatalities of h1n1 flu. the concern is not only do you put on life, but there is a change in your and as you go along in the pregnancy, your lungs get squished and you don't breathe as well. this is an efficient virus and it's skip for example person to person and the concern is young mother who may not have a natural immunity and the babies won't have a natural immunity are prime targets. the cdc is saying no matter what your trimester, get the shot as soon as it's available. >> it's? >> we are collecting data right now. if we are going to wait for safety data and be purists about it, it may be for months. flu shots have a good safety record and this is not really much different. it's a new strain. what they are saying is the risk of not getting the vaccine is greater than going ahead and

getting the shot. it's a two-fold message. get the regular flu shot now because they will be available this week and as soon as h1n1 is available, get those. >> pneumonia. is there a pneumonia vaccine? >> it's now intended for people over 65 and compromised immune systems. if you have asthma or another underlying problem, talk to your ob-gyn and i know it worries women to get shots, but this is with a purposeful straight on message from the government. get it. >> thank you very much. >> we are back after this.

>> still ahead, behind the scenes of the brady variety show. cindy brady herself, susan oleson.

>> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am stan stovall. let's check on the money to meet with kim dacey. >> a couple of incidents we want to mention. a water main break in west at saratoga is closed between greene street and mlk.

disabled vehicle on out of the beltway. the big story is the delays at this point. slow from reisterstown road to edmondson ave. 31 miles per hour there. 33 miles per hour there. we will give you a live look outside of the north side of the beltway. you can see both loops having problems there. slow from providence road towards the inner loop. police blocking the right lane at their pre causing a back up on the inner loop. but side of beltway if you can. >> we are seeing was the cloudy skies right now. a mix of sunshine and clouds. the real story is how the temperatures will be so much cooler than normal this more sunshine tomorrow with high- pressure overtaking the front to our south.

after today, still a little bit unsettled. 78, more cops on wednesday. -- more clouds on wednesday. >> check the bottom of your screen for updated news and traffic information. our next live update in 25 minutes.

august 31st, 2009. it might feel like the summer just got started, but we have reached the last day of august. where does the time go? i approach my clock on the plaza, i'm meredith vieira with karl quintnerra. here's matt and al. everybody remembers the brady bunch.

they got their short-lived brady bunch variety hour. now susan oleson was written a tell all about the experience. we will catch up with her and she thought the show was a clunker. >> so did most of us. >> in its entirety and people loved to talk about t. >> always good information. the accused craig's list killner boston arrest and charged with hunting women he met online. this morning, new information on philip markoff's alleged double live and what his fiance is saying. >> on a lighter note, five surprising ways you can cut $500 off your budget every month. >> that's good. i want to give a shout out to my buddies at the view who won best talk show hosts. good morning to you, ann. >> good morning to you. firefighters battling a huge wildfire near los angeles are

mourning the loss of two of their own killed sunday when their vehicle rolled off a mountain side. the station fire consumed 32,000 acres and 35 homes. miguel, now more than 10,000 homes are threatened, right? >> reporter: yes, natalie. at least 10 thousand then homes and thens have been evacuated. the official count of the homes damage side about 18, but nbc news has been able to drive through a few neighborhoods. this was the scene block after block of the area of the los angeles suburb. destruction complete in this area. the fire still stands at roughly 45,000 acres. that number is expected to explode in the morning when crews can get a more accurate count. it is only 5% contained. they are dealing with very big problems. high temperatures and low air quality are going to be the biggest issues they deal with today. roughly 2,000 firefighters are

on the ground and many attacking from the air from above and below. it's going to be a long day and they also say they are fighting this fire with a heavy heart as they mourn the loss of two of their own firefighters. back to you. >> a huge loss for sure and a long week for them. thank you so much. now the southeast georgia where residents are on edge after a mass slaying over the weekend. seven people from teenagers to adults were found killed in a mobile home. an 8th person died sunday and one other is hospitalized. police do not know if the suspect is on the loose. investigators in california are using shovels, chain saws and cadaver dogs to search two properties in connection with the kidnapping of jaycee lee duggard hept captive for 18 years. phillip garrido had access to an adjoining property. they have not said what they are looking for or if they are investigating other crimes.

moving day in space as they unload thousands of pounds of equipment carried to the international space station. there were hand shakes and hugs as the shuttle docked. among the equipment, a treadmill named for stephen colbert. >> hundreds of people in sunday had a huge tomato fight in reno for a good cause to raise money for the american cancer society. it looks pretty gross. 8:04 and back over to meredith and karl. all these need is a huge bowl of pasta and they are set. >> you are right, natalie. gorgeous. like fall. beautiful. >> yesterday was incredible. the weekend in new york.

>> we are actually tracking a disturbance. a stalled out front to our south and starting to see shower activity and clouds around baltimore. the difference is the temperature, only up to 74.

a couple of cutis today. what's your name? >> joey. >> kay. >> and kaitlyn. >> off to buffalo. i will shuffle off to karl. >> coming up next, the wildest and whackiest moments from the brady bunch variety hour on camera and off. susan oleson, aka cindy brady after this. [ rooster crow ] it affects your entire day. to get a good night's sleep, try 2-layer ambien cr. the first layer dissolves quickly... to help you fall asleep. and unlike other sleep aids, a second dissolves slowly to help you stay asleep. when taking ambien cr, don't drive or operate machinery. sleepwalking, and eating or driving... while not fully awake with memory loss for the event... as well as abnormal behaviors... such as being more outgoing or aggressive than normal,

confusion, agitation and hallucinations may occur. don't take it with alcohol... as it may increase these behaviors. allergic reactions such as shortness of breath, swelling of your tongue or throat may occur... and in rare cases may be fatal. side effects may include next-day drowsiness, dizziness, and headache. in patients with depression, worsening of depression, including risk of suicide may occur. if you experience any of these behaviors or reactions... contact your doctor immediately. wake up ready for your day-- ask your healthcare provider for 2-layer ambien cr. ♪ there's only one word for this ♪ ♪ it's bliss ♪ only one word describes chocolate this creamy, this rich, this indulgent. bliss. hershey's bliss chocolate. it's not just chocolate. it's bliss. i'm a free runner... ...national champion gymnast... ...martial artist... and stuntwoman. if you want to be incredible, eat incredible. announcer: eggs. incredible energy for body and mind. (guitar music)

of the world's most revered luxury sedan. this is a history of over 50,000 crash-tested cars... this is the world record for longevity and endurance. and one of the most technologically advanced automobiles on the planet. this is the 9th generation e-class. this is mercedes-benz. that's why i go to walmart. they guarantee unbeatable prices on all the flavors they love from blue bunny. so i can give them ice cream more often. like today. the holiday known as "tuesday." save money. live better. walmart. ah, that hits the spot. when you demand the very best... oh, i do! you have to try... cottonelle ultra toilet paper. ahhh. it's the ultimate way... to be kind to your behind. i'm in the lap of luxury.

my daughter was with me. i took a bayer aspirin out of my purse and chewed it. my doctor said the bayer aspirin saved my life. please talk to your doctor about aspirin and your heart. i'm going to be grandma for a long time. the ravishing tweed jacket with a cascade of pearls, a flash of feathers, and an arm of silver. pieces you'll love to pieces. at chico's. love it, love it, love it.

garth, you're up. hold on, i'm at capitalone.com picking a photo... for my credit card. here's one from my prom. oh, what memories. how 'bout one from our golf outing? ( shouting ) i know, maybe one of my first-born son. dad, mom says the boys gotta go. personalize your card by uploading... your own photo at capitalone.com. what's in your wallet? ♪ it is hard to believe, but this year the brady bunch celebrates 40 years in television. mike, carol, and the kids are easily one of the most recognizable and beloved families whachl viewers may not know is for a brief period, the bradies got together to do a variety show called one of the worst, that is worst of all

time. susan oleson who played cindy brady wrote a book about the experience. love to love you, bradies, a story about the brady bunch variety hour. good morning to you. >> good morning. >> among those who called it one of the worst shows is you. the first line. how does television's favorite family end up in history's worst show. it was embarrassment and you told your friends not to watch this thing. why write about it? >> well, you know there have been other brady ventures that haven't been all that great too, but this is just so spectacularly bad. it was bad with such flair and glitter and glitz that it's actually fun and funny. >> you also said one of the reasons you wrote the book is so history would never repeat itself and never try to duplicate this. >> we must remember.

ted nicholson who was the main author put together a website devoted to the brady bunch variety hour. i went to the website and i was amazed because i locked out a lot of the memories of the show. he wanted me to write something on the website. i likened the show to the holocaust and he wanted me to do more that was and we got to talking. >> let's talk about how the show evolved. brady bunch went off the air in 71 and this was the brain child of syd and marty kroft and hr puffin stuff was their creation and the donny and marie variety hour and you guest hosted on that show with other cast members from the brady bunch. they convinced you to create this variety hour and nobody was that keen on it. how did that they do it? >> that's the amazing thing is it all came from us appearing on the donny and marie show and the ratings went through the roof

and we said let's give them their own variety show. it was such a crazy idea. >> you were playing your characters too. >> yeah. the actual brady family moved from their home to the beach and now they have a variety show. that made no sense at all and that's part of the beauty of the show. the whole thing makes no sense. >> why did you agree to do it? >> half of the reason why all of us agreed to do it is we had been out of production and we missed each other. we are that goofy, crazy in love with each other. >> naive to what the work entails. eve plumb did not. there was an issue there and she was replaced. >> she was and we got our own fake jan. >> was that hard for you? you were close to eve. >> very close. i knew i would miss her a lot. she had other things to do. she had done bond, portrait of a teenage run away.

she had an obligation and i never thought as jeri as replacing eve. she is fake jan. >> jan and florence were the two that had the talent to do this show. and barry williams. they knew how to sing and the rest of you were doing a little bit of it, but this was like fish out of water. >> very fish out of water. that's why it's so crazy. you have people singing and dancing and we can't. >> that's a novel idea for a variety show. this is so typical of the variety shows back then. the sets were kind of wild. donny and maly a skating rink and you had a pool. >> we had a pool instead of a skating rink. the dancers had to do double duty. it was a big spectacular thing. >> you must have had respect for that wha they did. >> in the book, they were the

unsung heroes. they worked so hard and really under not such great conditions. >> you talk about a lot of the mistakes kept in the show. things would go wrong in rehearsals and you kept them. >> it was an ed wood production. cut, print. we don't have time to do it jen. >> one where you were flipping the you know what. someone fell or something and it was kept in the show. also behind the scenes, difficult things were going on. maureen mccormick has been open about her abuse of drugs. that was happening while this show was in production. >> yeah. that was our first indication that there was anything going on with maureen. believe me, i would never have said anything about it had she not already come out with it in her book. >> robert reed had not revealed he was gay although he was dressing as carmen miranda on the show. >> i don't know if he got a thrill out of wearing dresses on

the show, but what's sad about that is we all knew, but i don't think he knew we knew. there he is in a bunny suit. he refused to do a pie-throwing scene on the brady bunch because it was undignified. there he is. >> you talk about what an embarrassment the show was and people don't remember it, but it has been parodied many times. there were only nine episodes all together? >> yeah. >> what do you think it is about this show that lent itself to that? >> in this way it redeems itself sort of because it's bad enough to parody. it sets an example of the worst elements of the 70s. you take the glitter and the bad music and then put all the stuff on america's favorite family. it's a time capsule of the mistakes that shouldn't happen

again. >> you say just to be fair there was a lot of hard work that went into it and you want to make sure that that is noticed by people. >> very good people did very good work. the whole thing didn't turn out so good, but good people were involved. >> i know you stay close to the ka of the and we still love each other. >> we're do. >> want to call you cindy so bodily, but susan, thank you very much. >> thank you. >> love to love you, bradys. a real caffeine buzz kill. the unbelievable amount of calories in your favorite coffee drinks, but first these messages.

my health is important to me. it's critical that i stick to my medication. i cannot be one of the 61 million americans who do not refill their prescriptions on time. readyfill at cvs pharmacy automatically refills my prescriptions and reminds me to pick them up. you mean, reminds me to pick them up. [ chuckles ] stop by your local cvs pharmacy to ask if readyfill is right for you, and get a $25 coupon book. readyfill, only at cvs pharmacy.

where all your cat's favorite flavors, including real carnation milk, come alive. friskies feline favorites. feed the senses. the chic tweed jacket. the sexy silk cargo pant. the tempting tunic. with wit, verve and a little nerve. pieces you'll love to pieces. at chico's. love it, love it, love it. while i was building my friendships, my family, while i was building my life, my high cholesterol was contributing to plaque buildup in my arteries. that's why my doctor prescribed crestor. she said plaque buildup in arteries is a real reason to lower cholesterol. and that along with diet, crestor does more than lower bad cholesterol, it raises good. crestor is also proven to slow the buildup of plaque in arteries.

crestor isn't for everyone, like people with liver disease, or women who are nursing, pregnant, or may become pregnant. simple blood tests will check for liver problems. you should tell your doctor about other medicines you are taking, or if you have muscle pain or weakness. that could be a sign of serious side effects. while you've been building your life, plaque may have been building in your arteries. find out more about slowing the buildup of plaque at crestor.com. then ask your doctor if it's time for crestor. announcer: if you can't afford your medication, astrazeneca may be able to help. costs over $10. but blue bunny ice cream and toppings from walmart cost less. make ice cream treats at home just three times a month instead, and save over $220 a year. save money. live better. walmart.

now to the latest on the craig's list killer case. you remember philip markoff accused of preying on women he found on ads. he is charged with a number of crimes, including murder. we look at the case in the

october issue of "vanity fair." good morning to you. this is a piece not just about this case, but the characteristics of the web and the way in which the web made his crimes possible, but also how it helped the police find him later. >> exactly. this crime was perpetrated on the internet and solved on the internet. i don't think post people understand there is no privacy anymore and we all leave big cyber footprints. even if he used a track phone and a fake name, he was easily found by tracing back his clicks. craig's list for example keeps a record of every single ad you ever go to and every click you make and how long you stay when you are there. if you know which computer got on that click and go backwards, you can find out. >> for police it was a matter of exploiting those resources. >> they had to get search warrants in order to get this

private information, but it's not easy because it's very technical. but going to google and facebook, once they know who the subscriber is the way we do and the only time they did any old fashioned police work was a stake off at his apartment because he was on a wi-fi wireless and several people who would have been that person. >> speaking of markoff, the media portrayed him as a clean hud med student, very intelligent. you found things that suggested a darker side to not just his past, but his present. >> he, for example, graduated in three years from college. unquestionably an intelligent person. you guys broke the story that he has been e-mailing on craig's list and men for trannies. transvestites. i spoke to them and all the messages going back and forth. he sent in his facebook picture

and there were other things also for example in the third attack he had, he tried to gag the woman with an s and m device and they found when they googled his name and phone number after the crime, these s and m websites came up as well. >> let's talk about his fiance at the time. megan was supportive of him and couldn't believe this was the man to whom she was engaged and eventually gave in and said yes, this is not the man i knew. how is she doing? >> she has begun medical school in the caribbean. the interesting thing is they were plan ag i great big wedding and had a beautiful site. they were not even going to live together. she was going to school in the caribbean and he was going to stay at boston university. i think that she -- it's hard for her to give up the idea of who she thought she was in love with because she felt they were one another's first loves and he

protected her, but she is going on to a different life. >> does she still love him? >> i don't know the answer to that. i think it's hard to give up the idea of what you thought you were in love with. >> carmen is the mother of the murder victim and feels that the media misportrayed her daughter in the wake of the crime. >> carmen guzman i spoke to in spanish because she doesn't speak english. she was upset that the media thought that the victim was a prostitute. she was not. she was a masseuse and someone who had been a bar tender and got her jobs on craig's list. when the tips disappeared because she had to go into rehab for alcoholism, she became a masseuse and that kept ongoing on craig's list. >> very quickly, they called sources the internet cities without police. do you expect more regulation of

the web. >> there 43 state attorneys general who are up in arms about this, but they are protected by federal law. the site cannot be sued by what happens by third parties. it will be interesting to see. >> >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am sarah caldwell. it is official -- the 2009-2010 school year is officially in session. baltimore city, baltimore county, at howard county students return to school. many others started last week. you should watch 11 news tonight at 5:00 and 6:00 p.m. for complete coverage. now for the morning commute with kim dacey. >> at harford road, things are bad but are coming up just a little bit.

this has moved off to the left shoulder. outer loop is looking much better than it was. as far as accidents go, no. at 29 at 100, a bus fire on the shoulder. disabled vehicle on the out of the beltway. report of an accident in this city at baltimore and caton avenue. water main break in the city at westbound saratoga between greene street and mlk further north, we have an accident at southbound harrisburg expressway but between padonia and the beltway. things are picking up there for the first day of school. >> right now we are tracking a little disturbance to the south of the city. in the light rain trying to infiltrate the area. a little unsettled as the front gets through here. as far as what we are expecting

with temperature, that is the real story. only up to 74 today. more clouds and sunshine. best chance of a shock to our south today. tomorrow, 76. low 80s by thursday. >> thank you for joining us. we will have another update at 8:55. it's a revolution in pain relief. (announcer) new icy hot medicated roll. for wherever you hurt. icy to dull pain, hot to relax it away. the new icy hot medicated roll. with the roll, pain's under control.

8:30 on this monday morning, august 31st, 2009. feels like a hint of fall in the air. a cooler day for the start. here in rockefeller plaza, everyone seems to be loving it. a lady in a lobster hat from maine. coming up in this half hour, a lot of people use caffeine

drinks as an eyeopener. >> not so much me. >> yes. >> just ahead, we will open your eyes to show you how much fat, sugar and calories are crammed into your favorite drinks and here we have twinky, mayonnaise and even pizza. calories, fat, and sugar. we have alternatives. >> speaking of that, we will tackle health problems before they start. we will talk about a program at a clinic that could be the wave of the future as companies try to get their employees to be healthy and not get sick in the first place. >> you sent up in today's fountain of youth anti-aging questions coming up. we have answers for you. that's from "elle" magazine. >> dor not go in there.

later on, how does this sound? five easy ways to cut $500 off your budget. we will get into that in just a >> we are still tracking a disturbance to our south, try to bring light shower activity to the area. clouds more to the south of baltimore. we will see a high of 74

degrees. more sunsh >> that's your latest weather. for weather 24-7, go to the weather channel on cable for weather.com online. >> i'm here with my friend sarah from houston. you know how not to get sick? we will tell the rest of you after this. first this is "today" on nbc. ♪

doctor says i have to lower my cholesterol. here you go, mr. noran. (announcer) trying to lower your cholesterol can be a challenge. but with the help of honey nut cheerios' sweet taste, lowering your cholesterol is a non-challenge. get your free sample online at non-challenge.com this is really good!

back at 8:35. we have a special two-part series, how not to get sick. health care reform is the subject of a fiery debate, tiki barber found treating illness before it strikes. >> now to washington where president obama's full court health care reform. >> the president made his priority, health care reform. >> the president makes a push. >> president obama's plea for massive overhall of the health care system in the country. last month, he visited the cleveland clinic. >> the reason i visited the cleveland clinic is because along with the mayo clinic, they have been able to drive down costs more than any other health care system out there while maintaining the highest quality. >> one way they achieve success is through a wellness program, lifestyle 180.

>> 75% of the medical costs in the united states are caused by four things. physical inactivity, food choices, tobacco and stress. >> the program has been built around the key areas. hoping to treat disease before it strikes. the first step is getting participants in the cloosz room to learn stress management. physical education. >> anyone feeling this in their knees? >> nutrition and even cooking. >> one thing that you guys do in the program is get people in the kitchen. how did that capture it? >> that's the key. people say can you teach nutrition and take them to a store and show them how to read labels. the key is getting them to learn to you to cook healthy. you can't eat healthy if you don't cook healthy. food changes. >> dr. elizabeth is the director

of lifestyle 180 and seen dramatic results. >> they see benefits quickly. they sleep better and their energy is better. >> are you getting a grasp on your health because of the program? >> yeah. i'm getting everything all put together. i feel a lot more flexible and moving around more. >> we are climbing up the hill. >> morsing me to do a lot of things i knew i was supposed to do, but i wasn't doing. >> what's the benefit to the company? to the employer. >> they feel better. they are not absent as much because they feel better. >> get in deeper. >> everybody wins n. >> do you see other company dos this? >> local companies are starting to see the benefits of style 180. >> like the auto group owned by jim brown who sent 27 of his employees to the program. >> we saved in months $31,000. that's substantial.

every corporation ntd world should do it. >> that's the hope at the cleveland clinic. by starting small and changing what they serve on campus and expanding to the community, promoting healthy foots in local stores and the ballpark, their vision is that these efforts will reach organizations nationally, creating a healthier and wealthier country. >> if we will have a competitive environment for jobs in america, we will maintain our standard of living and have to avoid chronic disease and get rid of what we have. >> dr. nancy snyderman is the chief medical editor. this is fascinating because it appears to be working and if we can solve the problems, a lot of our other problems long-term go away. how realistic is it that this would be replicated? >> terribly realistic. it's taking a big stab at it. it's a chief wellness officer and ceos and cfos, but he is a

cwo. everything old is new again. there ancient civilizations where you paid the doctor to keep you well. when you got sick, you didn't pay the doctor or the dr. reimbursed you. if you eat decently and if you move and get basic exercise, reduce the stress and certainly don't smoke, you take away most of the chronic illnesses that eat up the health care dollars and kill us. >> we are looking at statistics. 60% of bankruptcies were medical costs. 75% of health care costs. >> diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure that chomps away. >> aren't they telling americans that thing wees have been told for years and the habits don't change. >> absolutely. what they say is look, we understand that human beings are herd animals. if we do this and assume the peer pressure will help and the

workplace is a place of wellness, perhaps we can change. that is novel. if you look at the wheel, a typical wheel and the patient is in the center and the doctors and nurses and respiratory therapists and all the disease experts are on the outside and you look at that patient as the hub and changing that part as making the hub healthy, you change things. that's what they are doing. i worked for johnson & johnson before. they have been doing this for years and what hay have shown is you can save money by investing in the health of the people who work for you. that's what this is going to do. >> you think there is going to be a push among corporate america? >> here's why. if you smoke, if you are overweight, you cost me money. it's in my best interest to get you healthy. it's my bottom line. >> they are replicating things like this. incentives. >> incentives and peer pressure. the cleveland clinic doesn't

hire cigarette smokers. >> that's legal? >> in most states. >> if you smoke, i will bring you into a program and invest in you getting off of the cigarettes and do urine tests to make sure you are not sneak. if i get you clean, i. you. the next spot is you watch for obesity. i am investing in your health and you invest in my bottom line. >> fascinating. when we come back, calories and your favorite coffee drinks equal in fat and

>> this morning on eat this, not that. your favorite coffee drinks. the caffeine fix might help you perk up and pork out at the same time. the author of eat this, not

that, the best and worst foods in america. good morning to you. >> good morning, meredith. you think of juices and things like in terms of a lot of sugar and diet drinks, soda and stuff. coffee can be worse. >> the problem is that today's coffee drinks have more from buzz to buzz kill. an average cup of joe used to be 40 calories. now the average is 340. that's the bad news. the good news is you can lose a lot of weight fast by making smart choices. i have a bud whoa lost 25 pounds by just staying with the drinks cha chapter of eat this and not that. >> and going to the right place. we will start with dunkin donuts frozen cappuccino with whole milk. >> this is a milk shake. if america is running on this, it will be slowed to a walk or a crawl.

this is 600 calories and over 100 grams of sugar. that's 26 spoonfuls of sugar, the equivalent of four twinkies. >> this could be the twinky defense in the future. >> unless your office has a couch and an alarm clock, you may be messed up. >> what's the alternative? >> get the medium coffee with skim milk. you will save 400 calories. over the course of a year that, is like 35 pounds and you will only get 44 grams of sugar and no fat. >> it's not as yummy. >> it's not, but much better. >> we will go to starbucks. venti white chocolate mocha. it's like drinking a dessert. >> like cake in a cup. you have 580 calories and 22 grams of fat and 75 grams of sugar. the equivalent is six

tablespoons of full fat mayo. you couldn't put that in your drink, but it's the equivalent of what you are drinking. what's great about starbucks is you can do 87,000 combinations of drinks. >> you created your own. >> i have a carmel cafe and they have sugar free syrup to add to the drink. in this case it's 130 calories. >> versus 580. >> versus 580. you can do a nonfat cafe mocha if you want a similar taste and you are saving 400 calories and over the course of a year, that's 35 pounds. if you can make little change, big results. >> this is scaring me. i didn't know cold stone had coffee drinks. this is one of them. >> this is the lata cafe latte. it's 1800 calories and 90 grams

of fat. you are getting 175 grams of sugar. this is as many calories as an adult woman would have in a day and the equivalent of 10 slices of pizza with ham and pineapple. have a whole pizza and two more slices. that's the equivalent. if you go to cold stone if you get the milk carmel latte, it's one word different, but 1500 calories difference. 280 calories and 11 grams of fat and you save 1500 calories which every day is three pounds in a week. >> that's a tremendous amount. >> mcdonald's got into coffee and the fancier coffees big time. with it comes big time weight gain. >> this is a large moenga. th you have 400 calories and 14

grams of fat. 49 grams of sugar. that's like six fudge sickles. you would be better off having plain coffee. >> what if you take this part off. >> the whipped cream is 50 to 100 calories. you of better off getting a large cappuccino for 180 calories. you will save 220 and it's 10 grams of fat and sugar and low in sugar and high in caffeine. >> for those who don't drink coffee, there is rock star. >> we all right get too much energy. we don't need more. this drink is a little more meat loaf than keith richards or mick jaggar. you have 280 calories and 62 grams of sugar. it's like five liquid oreos. >> but they have an alternative here. >> this is the light vanilla roasted.

100 calories. >> how to trim $500 off your monthly budget. first, this is "today" on nbc. they have alzheimer's and heart disease, diabetes and cancer.

and they've heard that biomedical research offers hope, that it could control, maybe even cure, their disease. senator barbara mikulski understands the importance of innovative biomedical research, for patients, their families, and our economy here in maryland. call senator mikulski today. tell her, thanks for protecting the promise of biomedical research and the maryland jobs it provides. it's not just the future, it's life. >> this morning on leonard's look, a place that will bring you back in time and help you find items that can bring a smile to your face.

>> if humans were powered by batteries, this would be the ideal changing station. this uncommonly unique store with a common name and a common product that is anything but in this fast-changing world. >> we call ourselves the purr have aors of the practical and hard to find. we are about stuff that works and solves one of life's little problems. >> out of my little problem was keeping up with him and his three sons. as they did shed through their western vermont store, a store opened in 1946 by his dad whose original catalog in a blunt manner listed 36 items. 14 for the house and to eat, three to wear and 12 to read. now -- >> you can get everything from stove polish to -- >> sing pickles. >> and a lot more. most being the type of product that had a loyal following before falling out of favor with

the new breed of multiployer. to the rescue came this family, firm believers in the underdog and the no frills underwear and undervalued product to the principal of underlying simplicity that goff eshed the way goods were designed and marked. for instance -- >> life buoy soap used to run on commercials and they went like this. ♪ bo ♪ with this orange cake with a strong smell. this is serious stuff. >> just as this is a serious business with two stores and a mail order catalog bringing in nearly $100 million in sales and employing 100 vermonters. >> one of the things is they are touching pieces of their childhood and memories of what

it was like in days gone by. it's comforting and reassuring. >> it brings back memories of when i was 5. this place is the best. >> you can keep finding new things that you forgot even existed. >> like the old metal slinkies and the bubble gum cigars and the my t fine pie fillings and on and on. >> i could get lost in here. >> lost amongst the once lost productions and vanished way of life now rediscovered. >> you travel all over america and it's harder and harder to find things that you authentic and the world of generica and mass retail and of chain stores and chain restaurants, you go in a place in every city and every town is the same stuff. you go to a village here in vermont where little has changed

in the last couple hundred years and it changed here since we opened in 1946. >> a welcome sight for those who remember and those who don't. for today, mike leonard, nbc news, western vermont. >> that was before my eyes. >> english leather. >> we will be back after your local news. >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in

baltimore. >> good morning. i am sarah caldwell. here's a look at some of our top stories. it has been a busy weekend for city police as gunfire left three people wounded in two separate incidents. the most recent happened at 8:30 last night when shots were fired at the intersection of harford and old harbor road the unidentified victim was taken to hospital with a gunshot wound to the chest. in the cedars are looking into a double shooting at hamdan. a man and a woman were shot at 11:30 saturday night. both predicted the the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. back in a minute with a check on back in a minute with a check on today's forecast.

kraft singles. american cheese. only one nation could create it. and that nation is america. kraft singles. the american cheese. >> let's take a look at the forecast with sandra shaw. >> low fifties to mid 50's

downtown. only up to 74. werd and old south. more clouds down around the beaches today. we will be seeing more sunshine brought the day tomorrow. 76 tomorrow. mostly sunny. still in the 70's even on wednesday. this is feeling like fall. but thursday and friday, the low 80s. >> looks nice. thank you for joining us. we will have another update at 9:25.